Giant Radio Telescope Collapses - and Rises Again

"QUANTUM SHOT" #455 link This was a case of "Humpty Dumpty", total structural failure A giant radio telescope at Green Bank, West Virginia, collapsed into a "twisted mess" without any visible cause, or previous warning. There was no wind, no covert landing of malicious aliens - on that night of November 15th, in 1988. During its normal operation (while studying gravitational lenses and distant galaxies), the scientific colossus suddenly folded up in a tangled heap around the control building... amazingly, according to this info, no scientist inside of it was hurt. Before & after collapse: (images credit: Richard Porkas) One possible cause for this collapse is believed to be the sudden failure of a large gusset plate in the box girder assembly - a key structural element in antenna's support. The big science was thwarted (again) by a single piece of metal... as in a few other unfortunate cases we can recollect. But honestly, we all know what REALLY happened: New radio telescope dwarfs the old one! The telescope was rebuilt in 2000; it is now bigger, better, and (obviously) structurally safer than its predecessor. Still, human engineering ends up pushed to the limit when it comes to such titanic and intricate structures... At least the largest telescope dish is safely cradled between some forested hills. I'm speaking, of course, about "the largest single dish in the world" - Arecibo Observatory (at 306 meters): (Photo courtesy of the NAIC - Arecibo Observatory, a facility of the NSF) This is where James Bond battled his opponent, balancing on wires: (image credit: Lacaos) Well, the newly rebuilt in place of the collapsed telescope (and no less impressive) Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope is considered The Largest Steerable Single Dish in the World (at 100 by 110 meters) - (image credit: Jacki Vance-Kuss) (image credit: National Radio Astronomy Observatory) See miniature people below? This is truly a colossal structure: (image credit: Geremia) (image credit: Geremia) The giant bearing (at the end of elevation axle): Can you spot two workmen on a walkway? - (images credit: NRAO) Contrary to all logic, this giant Russian telescope still stands strong! Other telescopes can collapse, but this one keeps standing. Even though it's totally rusted and has been abandoned for years... Having a rainbow snuggle up to its dish apparently helps with a structural blessing: See more images on this page. We also wrote once about another abandoned Ionospheric Research Staion. Time to bring these facilities back to life... especially since they refuse to come to total ruin and continue to haunt the landscape. Strangest Shape for a Radio Telescope This is "The Horn Antenna" at Bell Labs, Holmdel, New Jersey. It's where the cosmic microwave background radiation was discovered in 1965. Apparently such design worked really well for research purposes... truly looks like one giant ear, tuned to the Universe: (image credit: Bell Labs) Maybe the "hostile aliens" are too freaked by its appearance to zap it... maybe they're consolidating their forces to strike against CERN's collider. Maybe these aliens are listening to all I type. I should stop now... Article is based on materials from Matias Callone and National Radio Astronomy Observatory Permanent Link......+StumbleUpon ...+Facebook Category: Technology,Science Dark Roasted Blend's Photography Gear Picks:

Designing the Stop Sign

Link Scroll down for today's pictures & links. Designing the Stop Sign Designed by a committee, paying maximum attention to client's requests. - via glumbert - Stop Sign Re-Design Today's pictures & links: Click to enlarge images. Trees Have Eyes A natural thing, not Photoshop: Found on Esao Andrew's site. By the way, click on the "Painting" link - his weird art (some nsfw) is quite interesting. ------------ Gothic Machinery Belgian artist Wim Delvoye brings heavy machinery to another level of sophistication: See more of his elaborate work here, and explore his "pixelated" site. ------------ Fly Across Walmart Denis Darzacq is another photographer who makes his models defy gravity in seemingly common settings. The first, of course, is amazing Li Wei whose work was extensively covered on the web recently (make sure to visit his site, it's simply unreal). Denis Darzacq brings surreal fly-overs to your local grocery store: (image credit: Denis Darzacq) ------------ Rosy-Lipped Batfish (image credit: Birgitte Wilms, National Geographic) Good addition to our recent "Odd-looking Fishes" article. Here is another seriously weird batfish, the "short-nosed" kind: (image credit: David Doubilet, National Geographic) ------------ Mixed fresh links for today: 10 Ugliest Cars Sold in US - [pretty ugly] Idiotic and Dumbest Criminals: 5 top videos - [funny] Interesting List of Exotic Fruits - [food] Eye Lid Jewellery Contact Lenses - [weird design] Underwater & Oceanic Oddities - [wow review] You are Beautiful (keep clicking on the image) - [funny art] 2-Dimensional Trippy Music Video - [cool video] Compilation of News Slip-Ups - [hilarious video] Traffic in Tehran: Organised Chaos - [car video] - via ------------ Profound (original unknown) ------------ Stuck on a pole... (images by Newspix / Rex Features) More info. Like someone suggested, koalas now live on a pole because trees are gone? ------------ Clock suspended in a crystal, powered by temperature change Jaeger LeCoultre Atmos 561 mechanical beauty, designed by Marc Newson. More info ------------ Fashion not for the faint-hearted Indian designer Vivek Kumar's creation for the Lakme Indian Fashion Week in Mumbai, 2008 This last piece I actually like - it can be a good shield against accidental encounters with propaganda and other Orwellian brain assaults. ------------ Pre-Google Mapping Van? Not according to this article. This fine 60s van is also a part of the great list of "spy" vehicles (actually TV detectors) here. ------------ Did you see "Wanted?" This neat little matchbox label from 1950s Russia clearly says: "To travel on the train roofs is dangerous" (tell it to the Angelina Jolie / Fox) On the other hand, it implies that some people in good old Russia actually traveled like this quite often. ------------ READ THE PREVIOUS ISSUE Permanent Link......+StumbleUpon ...+Facebook Dark Roasted Blend's Photography Gear Picks:

Floods vs. Traffic

"QUANTUM SHOT" #454 link Traffic frustrates. SUNKEN traffic frustrates absolutely. Most photos were taken during flooding in Sofia, Bulgaria, in Minsk, Belorus, and in Moscow and Kazan, Russia. These recent events show a few stubborn drivers going against the flow... and even making it to the other side sometimes (to the amazement of those who thought that their cars were only good as anchors) (flooding in Great Britain, 2007) The water is rising in Kazan... streets are turning into rivers - (image credit: Shunk) Some roads and bridges just get swept away - like this route in Stavropol: But if the road is still there and simply flooded, then - Public Transportation Must Go On! (images credit: autotat.ru) This bus does not want to play nice - It seems "Impossible is Nothing" for these car drivers; and I have lots of respect for their efforts - Trucks are invincible, or so it seems: These ladies have better chance to get help than others: Indomitable! Maybe I can fix this.... - Nope, he is not going anywhere: Well then, If I just push it... This guy is still trying to steer: (image credit: Boris Krivoshein) A bunch of optimistic drivers: (flood in Novorossiysk, Siberia) I did not know Russian vans can take such punishment: (images credit: Marina Novo) Nearby, the tornado (waterspout) threatens the oil refinery: (image credit: Marina Novo) Granted, Moscow is not famous for its floods... but still, check out this Moscow flooding from the 1950s: (image credit: Lapsa) or even earlier, in May 1949 - (photos by Semen Morgenstern) Heavy trucks (even of a military kind) might get in trouble too... although this particular image has a better ending: the truck made it to the other side; it's a test track for the army vehicles, which includes deep water crossings: (image credit: Kostya Koshelev) Some cars don't need a wide-spread flood to get in trouble. It just happens to them - Kids make the most out of flooded roads (picture taken during recent flooding in Jakarta) - (image credit: mikejkt) Need an idea what to do while stuck in flooded traffic? Take a hint from these statues: (image credit: acropolisx) READ THE FIRST PART HERE Permanent Link......+StumbleUpon ...+Facebook Category: Extreme Weather,Nature